Deshaun Watson making it to Week 3 as the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback is not an accomplishment worth dismissing. His career very well could have been on the line in Week 2 because if he flopped once again, it would have been hard for the team to justify trotting him out there in front of the hometown fans that booed him relentlessly in the preseason, especially after he made comments disparaging them as well.
The vibe around the organization is entirely different after upsetting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and it’s clear that Watson is operating as if a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. His comments this week were much more positive and he is looking forward to getting the fans behind him.
Former Browns corner Joe Haden recently spoke about the situation and made a bold prediction about Watson. During a recent episode of Deebo & Joe, he said he believes Watson is proving he can still be a franchise quarterback, whether that’s in Cleveland or elsewhere.
“After that $230 million, I will be so glad for Deshaun Watson because he showed that he can be a franchise quarterback for another team. Somebody else will have to pay him because I don’t think Deshaun Watson would want to really be in Cleveland,” said Haden.
If Deshaun Watson shows he can be a franchise QB again, what will the Browns do: Resign or keep it pushing? 👀🤔 @jharrison9292 | @joehaden23 | #DeeboAndJoe pic.twitter.com/KrBCSePbqQ
— Deebo & Joe (@deeboandjoe) September 24, 2026
One good game isn’t enough of an accomplishment for this to be a real conversation yet, but it will be interesting to see what happens if Watson is able to string a few good performances together and win some games. The plan was likely what James Harrison said it was, and that’s that ownership believed Watson would fail and that this season would easily lead the team to a position where it could draft Arch Manning first overall in 2027.
If Watson flamed out in Week 2 (and there’s no guarantee a flameout still won’t happen), it would be hard to envision another team giving him a shot next season, but if he is going to deliver more performances like he did in Week 2, suddenly things get a lot more interesting.
Quarterbacks are dropping like flies around the league. Other teams would put the backlash aside if Watson can win games and look anything like he did during his days with the Houston Texans. It would have sounded crazy two weeks ago, but what Haden said is correct.
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